Automatic exhaust.



No. 819,002. PATENTED APR. 24, 1906. W. COOPER.

AUTOMATIC EXHAUST.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.23. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

W. COOPER.

AUTOMATIC EXHAUST.

APELIGATION FILED ocmnaa. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

km M INVENTOR 8,00%; Wag

PATENTED APR. 24, 1906.

, w. COOPER. AUTOMATIG EXHAUST.

APPLIUATIOH FILED OCT. 23. 1905.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR Mm (2 w ax WITNESSES M '2 IINITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC EXHAUST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 24, 1906.

Application filed October 23,1905. Serial No. 283,940.

To all whom it Duty concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM COOPER, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Denver, in the county of Denver and Stte ofColorado, have invented or discovered new and useful Improvements inAutomatic Exhausts, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to engines or other mechanism driven by steam orother power under pressure and, generally speaking, provides meanswhereby the power may be readily and instantaneously exhausted from themechanism. I effect this by providing automatic exhaust means whicheffectually empties all power from the engine upon the closing of thevalve in the power-line, and thus enables a practically instantaneousstoppage of the mechanism upon the application of the braking device.

It is well known that in the case of powerdriven devices, such as asteam-engine, where the power is under pressure the mere closing of thevalve in the power-line does not relieve the head of steam or otherpower from the mechanism, which will thus continue to operate until theexpansive force of the power contained in the mechanism is exhausted.Thus in the case of a steam-engine the pistons will continue toreciprocate until the head of steam in the steam chests and cylindersbecomes dead, so that closing the valve and applying the brake at bestonly effects a gradual cessation of reciprocation. Under ordinarycircumstances this fact may not be of great importance; but where anemergency stop is necessitated, as in case of loss of control overhoisting mechanism, a single revolution of the engine may cause anoverwind, dashing the bucket and its contents up into the sheave toinstant destruction and loss of life and property. By providing meansfor completely exhausting the power contained in the engine at themoment the supply-valve is closed and the brake applied I am enabled toprevent such an accident by stopping the winding mechanism almost in aninstant.

I have shown in the drawings in connection with hoisting mechanismautomatic means whereby the overwind of the bucket serves to instantlyoperate the exhaust mechanism in addition to closing a controller-valve,thus bringing the hoisting mechanism to an immediate stop. I do not,however, limit myself to use in connection with hoisting mec anism; butmy invention may be used, as above stated, with any power-drivenmecl1anism where a quick stop may be advantageous.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general side elevation of myinvention applied to mine hoisting mechanism, showing in verticalsection the mine-shaft and automatic actuating mechanism located abovethe same. Fig. 2 is an enlarged front elevation showing the hoistingmechanism, exhaust devices, and controllervalve, the valve being shownin vertical section. Fig. 3 is a somewhat less enlarged detail of thehoisting mechanism as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan viewof the invention as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section ofthe controller-valve along the line V V in Fig. 6, the valve being shownin this case in its open position. Fig. 6 is a section of the valvealong the line VI VI in Fig. 5, but showing the valve closed. Fig. 7 isa plan view of the valve, showing in dotted lines the valve open. Fig. 8is a partial detail showing a modification of the exhaust devices whichare shown in Fig. 2.

The following is a detail description of the constructions shown in thedrawings.

For the sake of illustration I have shown a hoisting-engine of awell-known type, consisting of a bed 1, cable-drum 2, mounted on shaft3, which shaft is operatively connected to the source of power by meansof gear 4, mounted thereon and intermeshing with gear 5, mounted onpower-shaft 6, also journaled in the engine-bed.

7 7 are crank-disks on the outer ends of shaft 6, which are fitted withconnecting rods 8 S in the usual manner, said connecting-rods having theusual connection with the pistons of cylinders 9 9.

10 10 are the steam-chests, through which power is admitted in the usualmanner to said cylinders.

11 is the main steam-line of pipe, leading steam from the boilers (notshown) and provided with branches 12 12, leading to the steam-chests.

13 is a throttle-valve of any known type.

14 is the cable running from drum 1 over sheave 15, mounted in thegallows-frame (not shown) and said cable suspending by its free end thebucket or other receptacle 16, which is intended for use in mine-shaft17.

18 18 are doors which may be used to close the mouth of shaft 17 whendesired.

19 is the casing of a controller-valve interposed in steam-line 1 1 andprovided with the usual inlet and outlet ports and 21 leading,respectively, from the boiler end of the line and to the engine endthereof. 22 is a third port through one side of the casing half waybetween ports 20 and 21 and preferably of smaller capacity than thesame.

23 is a plug of the uusal hollow type adapt-- ed to fit into casing 19in the usual manner and to be secured therein, as by nut 24 and washer25. 20 and 21 are ports in the walls of said plug adapted to register,respectively, with ports 20 and 21 of the casing when the plug is in theopen position shown in Fig. 5.

26 is a groove or cut-away portion on the face of plug 23 which whensaid plug is in place forms a passage from the interior of the casing tothe outer air. Opposite said groove 26 is a port 27, cut through theouter wall of plug 23 and of similar capacity, preferably, as port 22. v

The parts of the valve being assembled as shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7, itis evident that when said valve is in its open position, as shown inFig. 5, the ports 20 and 21 of the plug register with ports 20 and 21 ofthe casing, thus permitting steam to pass uninterruptedly through thesteam-line 11 from the boilers to the engine, the port 27 being closedby the adjacent wall of the casing and the groove 26 registering withthe port 22 in the casing. If, however, the plug 23 be rotated aquarter-turn to the position shown in Fig. 6, passage of steam throughthe length of line 1 1 is interrupted. The groove 26 registers with port20 of the casing, thus allowing escape of steam from the boiler end ofthe line 11, thereby preventing a rupture of the said steam-line by thesudden rise in pressure attending the closing of the valve. The port 27in the plug registers with port 21 of the casing, while the port 21 inthe plug will register with port 22 of the casing, thus forming aneflectual exhaust for the boiler end of the steam-line 11 when thecontroller-valve is closed. The stem of plug 23 is preferably squared toengage the recessed end of rockshaft 28, which is journaled, as shown at29, to some stationary means, such as the framework of the engine-room.(Not shown.)

30 30 are petcocks or other exhaust devices adapted to exhaust cylinders9 9,'whose stems are provided with rigidly-attached levers 31 31, whichare pivoted to the connecting-rods 32.

33 is a rock-shaft journaled in the engineframe or to the floor of theengine-room and fitted at its extremities with integral or rigid cranks34 34, which are pivotally attached to the reciprocating connecting-rods32 32.

35 is a foot lever or tread rigidly attached to rock-shaft 33, by meansof which the engineer can at will open the petcocks 30 30 and drain thecylinders. I

36 is an arm rigid with shaft 28 and pivoted at its outer end toconnecting-rod 37, whose lower end is forked and slotted, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3.

38 is an arm rigid with shaft 33 and provided with wrist-pin 39, whichengages the slots on the lower extremity of rod 37.

It is evident that when rock-shaft 28 is rotated a quarter-turn, raisingarm 36, the rock-shaft 33 would also be turned a quarterturn, openingthe pet-cocks 30 30, and thus exhausting the steam in the cylinders. Theslotted end of rod 37, however, permits the cocks 30 30 to be opened bymeans of foottread 35 without disturbing the rod 37.

4O 40 are exhaustcocks communicating with steam-chests 1O 10 andarranged, preferably, as shown in Fig. 2.

41 is a rock-shaft having hollow key ends to engage the stems of cocks40 40.

42 is an arm rigidly secured on shaft 41 and having its extremitypivoted to connectingrod 43, whose upper extremity is pivoted to arm 44,rigidly attached to rock-shaft 28.

It is evident that the same quarter-turn. of rock-shaft 28 which, asbefore explained, serves to open the cylinder-cocks 3O 30 also opens thepetcocks 4O 40 of the steam-chests 10 10.

The various parts heretofore described are so assembled that if thecontroller-valve be open, a quarter-turn of the rock-shaft 28 will closesaid valve and exhaust the steam-pressure in the engine end of the line11 and at the same time open the cocks 30 30 of the cylinders and thecooks 40 40 of the steamchests, thus thoroughly exhausting the head ofsteam contained in the engine. Any suitable brake mechanism (not shown)may be provided to overcome the momentum of the engine, my inventionbeing intended to release all power from the mechanism at the moment ofapplying the brake or whenever desirable.

In the application of my device to automatic use with hoisting mechanismI prefer to use the following automatic actuating mechanism: 45 45 are apair of doors or swinging members hinged or pivoted to a portion of thegallows-frame 46 by means of rods 47 47, rigid with said doors andjournaled in lugs 48 48, attached to the gallowsframe. The said doorsextend over the path of the bucket 1 6 andiare cut away at theirabutting edges, as at 49, to admit of the passage of the cable 14. Saiddoors are preferably arranged to shut in the inclined position shown, sothat they will be thrown through an arc of ninety degrees by the upwardpassage of the bucket therethrough. Adjacent extremities of the rods 4747 extend beyond the gallows-frame and arevprovided withrigidly-attachedsegmental gears 50 50, which intermesh and render themovement of the doors uniform. 51 is an arm rigidly attached to the endof one of the rods, 47 and pivoted at its outer end to connecting-rod52, which at its other end is pivoted to the upper end of lever 53,which is intermediately provided with slot 54, which engages wrist-Din55, which is fixed to stationarysupport 56. The lower end of lever 53 ispivoted to the end of arm 57, rigidly attached to rock-shaft 28. It isevident, the parts being properly assem bled, the thrusting aside ofdoors 45 by the passage of bucket 16 from their inclined to theirvertical position through an arc of ninety degrees will cause therock-shaft 28 by means of the intermediate actuating mech anism torotate a quarter-turn, thus closing the controller valve and exhaustingthe steam contained in the boiler end of the steam-line and also in thesteam chests and cylinders. 59 are spring-catches of any convenientdesign attached to the gallowsl'rame and adapted to engage the doors 4545 when they are thrown back to hold them rigidly in their open positionuntil it is desired to release them.

The doors 45 45 are located at such a height above the shattanouth thatthe bucket when under proper control and in ordinary use does not engagethem; but in case of loss of control of the winding mechanism, thusendangering an overwind or drawing of the bucket up into the sheave, thebucket would be drawn up into engagement with the doors, and thus byopening them automatically cut oil and exhaust the power from themechanism and enable the brakes to bring the engine to an instant stop.

If desired, instead of the cocks 40 40, connected with the steam-chests1O 10, I may substitute exhaust valves or cocks 40 40 in the branchsteam-lines 12 12, as shown in Fig. 8. I may connect said cocks togetherby any convenient means, such as rock-shaft +11, which is provided withrigid arm 42, which in turn is operatively connected with rock-shaft 28by means of connecting-rod 43 and rigid arm 14%, similarly to thearrangement described in connection with the cooks 40 it), as shown inFig. 2. By this means the exhaust is el'l'ected in the branchsteam-lines instead of the steam-chests. IVhen applying my invention tomechanism already in r l l l stalled, I find this a cheap and easyadaptation, as it does not require tapping apertures 1n thesteam-chests. If desired, I may substitute an ordinary throttle-valvefor the form of four-way valve shown and rely on my petcocks to exhaustthe steam-line and engine. I may use either or both the petcocksexhausting the cylinders and chests, as desired, or may rely entirely onthe four-way valve for exhaust purposes, but I prefer the combination ofdevices described as capable of more reliable results.

It is apparent from the above that I am thus able to effect apractically instantaneous stoppage of a powerdriven mechanism and havethus accomplished a substantial ad.- vance in the art.

Although for the sake of clearness I have described with minuteness theapplication of my invention to practical use, which is illustrated inthe drawings, I do not wish to limit myself to the construction shown,-but I claim, broadly 1. In power-driven mechanism, means for shuttingoff power from said mechanism, means for exhausting the power containedtherein and automatic mechanism for oper ating both of said means whencontrol is lost over said power-driven mechanism.

2. In steam-engines, means for exhausting the power contained in saidengine and automatic means for operating said exhaust means when controlis lost over said engine.

3. In hoists, hoisting mechanism, a hoisting-receptacle operated by saidhoisting mechanism, means for exhausting the power contained in saidhoisting mechanism and means whereby the ascension of said rccep tacleto a given point operates said exhaust means.

4. In hoists, hoisting mechanism, a hoisting-receptacle operated by saidhoisting mechanism, means for shutting oil the supply of power to saidhoisting mechanism, means for exhausting the power contained in saidmechanism and means whereby the ascension of said receptacle to a givenpoint op erates both said shutting-oil and said exhaust means.

Signed at Georgetown this ber, 1905.

3d day of Octo- WILLIAM COOPER.

IVitnesses:

J. A. N OONE, FRANK H. REGENNITTER.

